We did go into Brisbane on Sunday and had a lovely walk along the south shore, which is all a park, and then over river, on the pedestrian bridge, to the Botinical Gardens. The day was overcast with the a little drizzle for a short time but the temperature was in the mid 20's so very good for walking around in. We stopped for a very nice lunch with smoked salmon and a bottle of Pino Gris!!! This is a much better way to spend a Sunday.
Today we have installed our new AIS all by ourselves and it even appears to be working as it should. We are not that good with electronics. All other things are ok but electrical and computer stuff is hard.
We have decided to leave on Wednesday so it will give us a day with the car tomorrow to do some last minute shopping and a little more sight seeing. It will be nice to get out on the water again.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Wet Weekend
Well we were going to get moving on the weekend but the weather did not cooperate with it pouring rain all day on Saturday and the forecast for more bad weather until Wednesday. So we have kept the car for another few days and have added a few more projects to do on Kilkea.
We are going to be in Singapore in October and we have read that they now require us to have an active AIS system on board. This is a transponder that allows us to see other boats and them to see us on the chart plotter that we all use to navigate with. It also gives the name of the boat/freighter plus course, destination, and most important how far our paths will cross. This is very use full in busy areas of the world. Up to now we have had a receive only AIS and can see the traffic but they cannot see us. This was useful going through Gibraltar. So by staying the weekend we now are busy installing the new equipment. This staying in port can get very expensive!!
This morning, Sunday, the rain has stopped but it is still overcast with breaks to the blue so we will do some more exploring of Brisbane and hope to go to the Botanical Gardens. It now looks like we will leave here on Wednesday and we still hope to up to Lady Musgrove island by next weekend probably on Sunday next.
We are going to be in Singapore in October and we have read that they now require us to have an active AIS system on board. This is a transponder that allows us to see other boats and them to see us on the chart plotter that we all use to navigate with. It also gives the name of the boat/freighter plus course, destination, and most important how far our paths will cross. This is very use full in busy areas of the world. Up to now we have had a receive only AIS and can see the traffic but they cannot see us. This was useful going through Gibraltar. So by staying the weekend we now are busy installing the new equipment. This staying in port can get very expensive!!
This morning, Sunday, the rain has stopped but it is still overcast with breaks to the blue so we will do some more exploring of Brisbane and hope to go to the Botanical Gardens. It now looks like we will leave here on Wednesday and we still hope to up to Lady Musgrove island by next weekend probably on Sunday next.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A whirlwind trip home
We did leave Brisbane at 0430 am on Saturday to Sydney then connected to the Air Canada flight direct to Vancouver. Arriving at 0830 am Saturday morning we were met by Nevan. We got our little truck going and visited with the children and grand kids for the Easter weekend with dinners out at our sons houses. Good fun to be around little ones at Easter with all the sugar highs they do get a little out of sorts which is fine when you are grand parent as you just leave them to their parents. They actually were all very good.
On Tuesday after doing lots of mail checking and other stuff in the morning Marian flew over to Calgary and I took the ferry to Victoria to see my brothers. My youngest brother Eric has just been diagnosed with cancer and has just started to undergo Chemo. He is doing ok right now but we fear for him as the treatment goes on. It will be a tough road but he has a very positive attitude. It is a reality check to remind us to enjoy every day.
I got back to Vancouver on Wednesday evening in time to watch the hockey game with Nevan and then on Thursday after some medical stuff for myself flew over to Calgary to visit Natalie, Derek and Liam. When I landed it was a blizzard outside and it did snow for the three days I was there. Today it is 23C!! Natalie is due her second child in August and they are house hunting for a bigger home. We will be in East Timor then so will not be home for this new arrival. That is the hard part of this life we lead. Marian and I got back to Vancouver on Sunday for Eamon's seventh birthday party. Then Monday and Tuesday was more running around paying taxes etc and enjoying a couple of dinners out with friends.
Wednesday we spent the morning with my brother Eric in Vancouver General and his doctors. He will have to come over here for the stem cell transplants they will be doing in August/September. Then is was time to shut down Kilkea the power boat we live on when at home and catch the midnight flight back to Sydney and on to Brisbane. We arrived back on the boat at noon on Friday. The whole trip is a bit of a blur but it was great to see the family.
We have been back for five days and have done some exploring up and down the coast. We have seen long lost second cousins of Marian and had dinner out with friends on s/v Merlin and also at Chris and Kates home. As well as this entertainment we have also had the refrigerator fixed and also the glitch with the GPS which we navigate the boat with. Always something to do on a boat. We hope to be off sailing up to Mooloolaba on the weekend for a couple of days to visit more friends then off to Lady Musgrove island on the bottom of the Barrier Reef. Then we will be back into our cruising mode of life and are really looking forward to it just being anchored out and going for a swim and reading a book.
On Tuesday after doing lots of mail checking and other stuff in the morning Marian flew over to Calgary and I took the ferry to Victoria to see my brothers. My youngest brother Eric has just been diagnosed with cancer and has just started to undergo Chemo. He is doing ok right now but we fear for him as the treatment goes on. It will be a tough road but he has a very positive attitude. It is a reality check to remind us to enjoy every day.
I got back to Vancouver on Wednesday evening in time to watch the hockey game with Nevan and then on Thursday after some medical stuff for myself flew over to Calgary to visit Natalie, Derek and Liam. When I landed it was a blizzard outside and it did snow for the three days I was there. Today it is 23C!! Natalie is due her second child in August and they are house hunting for a bigger home. We will be in East Timor then so will not be home for this new arrival. That is the hard part of this life we lead. Marian and I got back to Vancouver on Sunday for Eamon's seventh birthday party. Then Monday and Tuesday was more running around paying taxes etc and enjoying a couple of dinners out with friends.
Wednesday we spent the morning with my brother Eric in Vancouver General and his doctors. He will have to come over here for the stem cell transplants they will be doing in August/September. Then is was time to shut down Kilkea the power boat we live on when at home and catch the midnight flight back to Sydney and on to Brisbane. We arrived back on the boat at noon on Friday. The whole trip is a bit of a blur but it was great to see the family.
We have been back for five days and have done some exploring up and down the coast. We have seen long lost second cousins of Marian and had dinner out with friends on s/v Merlin and also at Chris and Kates home. As well as this entertainment we have also had the refrigerator fixed and also the glitch with the GPS which we navigate the boat with. Always something to do on a boat. We hope to be off sailing up to Mooloolaba on the weekend for a couple of days to visit more friends then off to Lady Musgrove island on the bottom of the Barrier Reef. Then we will be back into our cruising mode of life and are really looking forward to it just being anchored out and going for a swim and reading a book.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Brisbane
We have arrived in Brisbane after 8 days of wonderful sailing. The weather we anticipated actually happened so the trip went exactly as planned. Not often that that happens. The winds for the first five days were from the east which was right behind with four meter swells that just pushed us along at a comfortable speed. The next three days the winds shifted to the south and we just sailed into the bay and up the river to the customs dock. On the way in we got a call from Chris and Kate onboard Equinox who were anchored out in the bay and watching out for our arrival. That was special.
After clearing customs and the bio security stuff at River Gate marine Chris and Kate arrived with a bottle of champagne, cheese crackers and a litter of milk. We were enjoying this on the back deck, not the milk, when we were surprised by Frank and Karen (sv Tahina) who traveled over to welcome us to Australia from their boat in Manley. Everyone left by around five in the evening and we had a light meal and were in bed by seven and slept very well in a bed that was not moving all over the place. Actually we sleep very well on passages even with the boat gyrating but it is much better tied up to the dock.
On Wednesday again Chris and Kate arrived to the marina and took us to this huge mall where we managed to get hooked up to the internet and a sim card for our phone. This is always one of the most difficult problems with sailing from country to country as all the systems for internet and phones are different. It was sure a good thing that our friends were with us to smooth out the issues that arose. We then went back to their home and visited with daughters Grace and Sarah who had just make cup cakes. Chris was off to work that evening running a clipper ship up the coast for a regatta this weekend but on the way back to Kilkea we stopped at the town docks where we met up with Calisto and had a short time with Mike and Anne. Not long enough but we will meet them up along the Barrier reef sometime in May.
Back on the boat for another early night and now today we will clean up Kilkea and get ready for our trip home. We hope to leave on Saturday morning early so will be home in Vancouver the same day.
After clearing customs and the bio security stuff at River Gate marine Chris and Kate arrived with a bottle of champagne, cheese crackers and a litter of milk. We were enjoying this on the back deck, not the milk, when we were surprised by Frank and Karen (sv Tahina) who traveled over to welcome us to Australia from their boat in Manley. Everyone left by around five in the evening and we had a light meal and were in bed by seven and slept very well in a bed that was not moving all over the place. Actually we sleep very well on passages even with the boat gyrating but it is much better tied up to the dock.
On Wednesday again Chris and Kate arrived to the marina and took us to this huge mall where we managed to get hooked up to the internet and a sim card for our phone. This is always one of the most difficult problems with sailing from country to country as all the systems for internet and phones are different. It was sure a good thing that our friends were with us to smooth out the issues that arose. We then went back to their home and visited with daughters Grace and Sarah who had just make cup cakes. Chris was off to work that evening running a clipper ship up the coast for a regatta this weekend but on the way back to Kilkea we stopped at the town docks where we met up with Calisto and had a short time with Mike and Anne. Not long enough but we will meet them up along the Barrier reef sometime in May.
Back on the boat for another early night and now today we will clean up Kilkea and get ready for our trip home. We hope to leave on Saturday morning early so will be home in Vancouver the same day.
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